Areas Quote by Gar Alperovitz
“There are areas using what's called the "checkerboard strategy." They are different cities where you can move around the "checkerboard," doing things you can't do in every square, that you can do in some of them, building a mosaic of these kinds of practices. There are about 400 cable television networks, for example, that are publicly owned. That's a big fight for big private companies. In some areas, this is a political struggle, in some it's conventional common sense.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on media ownership, 2020
The quote describes a strategy where different jurisdictions allow varied practices, creating a patchwork of opportunities that challenge large private interests.
In simple terms: Different places allow different actions, forming a mosaic that opposes big corporations.
Leverage local variations to build broader change.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- Urban planning
- community media
- policy advocacy
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can local successes be scaled nationally?
- What obstacles arise when aligning diverse local policies?
Political resistance can be fragmented, limiting coordinated impact.